Glory
by WhatVoiceOfReason
Summary: The early part of Edward's military career, as seen through the eyes of a bystander


**Just a short oneshot. I hope it isn't too horrible (I don't really write much…). J Let me know what you think!**

**Oh, and by the way, I don't own FMA (Whoa, huge shocker!)**

He was short, but he was always seen. His bright red coat stood out from the sea of blue military uniforms. He would never sit perfectly still—he was always moving, always talking with big, theatrical gestures; always yelling with his arms swinging in the air. His youthful face contrasted with the wrinkled, aged look of his coworkers. He was a little kid with a huge personality—a personality that would engulf an entire room once he walked through the door. He never knew me, but I knew him. Everybody knew him.

I grew up in the East on a farm. As the sixth child in my family, I was often forgotten and left to entertain myself. I'd spend my days lying in the grass, reading letters from my eldest brothers who were soldiers. Their stories were more exciting than the few novels my struggling family owned. When I was nineteen, I raised enough money to leave the farm and travel to Central, where I finally became a solider myself. The military opened up a whole world of new experiences. Before I came to Central, I'd never even see alchemy be performed before.

I was five years into my career when I heard the rumors. A twelve year old boy was supposedly going to take the state alchemy examination. Soldiers would talk about him in the mess hall and the dorms. "Did you hear, some kid is gonna take the state alchemy exam," someone would mention. This was always followed with eye rolling or head shaking. We thought it was a joke. We thought it was an embarrassment to the military; letting a child take an adult examination. The first person to welcome me into the military—my mentor—was a state alchemist. He was livid when he heard the rumors. He said that, if Fuhrer Bradley is really allowing this to happen, then he is making a mockery out of the entire State Alchemy system.

No one could have seen that this kid would become a legend.

When Edward's examination was held, a lot of people wanted to watch. They thought It would be humorous. My mentor had been there in the room when the examination took place. I remember his face when he recounted the event. He told me how Edward created a spear using no alchemy circle at all. Not knowing much about alchemy, I didn't fully realize the extent of this achievement. I would later find out that most, if not all other alchemists, need to use a circle.

His unique alchemic abilities were only one of his interesting characteristics. That's what he was: a character. He was unique and mysterious; someone no one could really understand. Once he was certified, the rumors exploded. You couldn't turn a corner without hearing his name or his title. His face was on the cover of every newspaper, every magazine. The headlines were everywhere.

_Twelve-Year-Old Passes Military Examination_

_Child Genius Becomes Youngest State Alchemist_

People always looked at him, but never talked to him. We would talk _about_ him though; feeding each other's curiosity with our questions.

_Can he really perform alchemy without a circle?_

_How old is he anyway?_

_What's his IQ?_

_What happened to his limbs?_

_Where are his parents?_

_How did Mustang discover him?_

_Is the guy in the armor really his brother?_

And the big one, the most frequently asked of them all:

_Why did he want to join the military in the first place?_

He was untouchable. Everyone found him interesting; everyone wanted to know his story. But to us, he seemed untouchable. We watched him eat lunch alone in the mess hall, never having the courage to sit next to him.

Of course, there were those few people who would casually converse with him. Mustang, Hughes, Hawkeye, Havoc: rumors grew about those people too. What was their connection with the Fullmetal Alchemist? How did they know him? _Did _they know him? Could you really get to know someone as abstract as Edward Elric?

It was late at night when I walked into the dorm bathroom and saw Edward standing in front of one of the sinks, his automail palm pressed against the mirror and his eyes glancing down at his arm. I nervously walked to the sink beside him. My fingers shook as I tried to hold my toothbrush. Here I was, about to _brush my teeth _next to the Fullmetal Alchemist.

It was then that we exchanged the only brief dialogue we'd ever have. Edward Elric—the protégé, the hero of the people, the Fullmetal Alchemist—asked if he could borrow some of my toothpaste.

It was at that moment that I realized Edward was human. He was an idol; an amazingly talented preteen. But he was also just that—a preteen. A child. Someone with a stoic face with a mountain of emotions hidden behind it. He was not a phantom that would appear in Central every few weeks. He was not a picture in a magazine, a rumor spread through the halls. He was a human; a human who needed the same things as everyone. Food. Shelter. Friendship. Toothpaste.

I know it surprised many of you when I asked if I could speak today. A few people have asked if I knew him well. The truth is, I barely knew him at all. But he inspired me. He inspired thousands of people. He was the Hero of the People—and he still is. I may have not really known him, but after that one encounter we shared, I had a deep admiration for him. Although I am twice his age, I look up to him as a role model. I know some of you here, listening to this eulogy, feel the same way.

Today, I remember how Edward inspired not only me, but an entire nation. May he rest in peace.


End file.
